Display and dispensing racks



April 1951 c. H. FOWLDS 2,980,259

DISPLAY AND DISPENSING RACKS Filed Dec. 18, 1957 2,980,259; DISPLAY ANDDISPENSING RACKS Clinton H. Fowlds, Vancouver, Wasln, assignor, bydirect and mesne assignments, to S. & F. Manufacturing Co., Inc.,Vancouver, Wasl1.,a corporation of Washington I V 7 Filed Dec. 18, 1957,Ser. No. 703,644

11 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) This invention relates to improvements in racksand more particularly to a rack especially designed and adapted fordisplaying and dispensing canned goods and the like stacked in rows upona shelf.

It is one of the principal objects of this invention to provide a rackof the character described with a fol-- lower and means operable fromthe forward end ofthe rack for advancing a follower and the rows ofshelf contents evenly toward the front of the shelf as the supplygradually diminishes. To an observer the rack will at all times appearfully stacked until the last items are taken. The goods thus displayedare easily accessible bottom laminate 5. The top and bottom edges of theframe 9 are beaded as at 13 and 14 to hold between them, as indicated bybroken lines, any desired number of price tickets 15. Corresponding innumber and spacing with the grooves 8 are apertures 16 extending throughthe upper portion of the frame 9.

In Figure 1 I have shown in broken lines two different sizes of cannedgoods stacked upon the base member 4 and arranged in two groupsindicated at A and B. As previously pointed out, it is one of theobjects of this invention to provide means for advancing the articles ofeach group forwardly and evenly toward the front of the shelf as thesupply is diminished by consumers. To achieve this object I provide foreach groupa follower indicated generally at 17 and since both followersare structurally identical a description of one will sufiice for'both orfor any number of followers used within or throughout the length of theshelf. Each follower comprises a horizontal base plate 18 formed at itscenter into a downwardly extending transverse tongue or rib 19 adaptedfor selective engagement with the grooves 8 in the base member 4 withthe plate 18 resting upon to the shopper and are not concealed from hissight by adjacent displays or partition walls.

A further object is to provide a rack readily adaptable to an ordinarydisplay shelf, The rack may be positioned either temporarily upon theshelf or permanently secured thereto.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevational view of a display shelfshowing a display and dispensing rack madein accordance with myinvention applied to the shelf and with fragments broken away forconvenience of illustra-j tion. a

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view on a reduced scale of the right-hand endof Figure l. I

Figure 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken approximatelyalong the lines-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of. a modified form ofrack base anda side view of a f0llower slidably mounted upon the base.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken approximately along y the line 5- -5of Figure 4. p. l

including a base member indicated generally at 4 and 1 comprising a baselaminate 5,-a core 6 and a top laminate 7 which is preferablymade ofsuitable wear-resisting material such as Masonite or-the' like or sheetmetal could be used if desired.

v The base member 4 is provided with upwardly opening transverse grooves8 extending to the back equidistantly spaced apart throughout itslength. An elongated frame member indicated generally at 9 is providedwith rearwardly extending flanges lit and 11 and thereby secured to thebase member 4 by resilient clasp engagement of the flange 10 with thetop laminate'7 and by similar engager,

ment of the flange 11 with an undercut portion 12 of the the top surfaceof the base member. The rear portion of the base plate is turnedupwardly forming a follower plate 18A and provided with a confrontingspring plate 20 for firmly clamping a vertical follower wall 21 to theplate 18a of the follower 17. For actuating the follower I provide apull-rod 22 extending through a selected aperture 16 in the frame member9 and pro-- vided at its outer end with a removable knob .or finger grip23. The rod extends along the groove Sin alignment with the selectedaperture 16, through the tongue portion 19 of the base plate 18 andterminates at its inner end in a vertical portion 24. The modified formof rack base indicated generally at 4A in Figures 4 and 5 comprises acorrugated metal.

the follower whenthe shelf is empty.

It will readily be understood that the follower wall 21 may be of anyvdesired height or width to accommodate cans of various sizes andarrangements of stacking.

A shelf provided with the dispensing device of my invention is loadedwith stacks of cans or the like in the usual manner from the front tothe rear with the first entering stack or stacks contacting the follower17 and pushing it rearwardly. As additional stacks are. placed upon theshelf and moved rearwardly until that I area of the shelf is filled, thefollower 17 will be positioned against the rear wall 2 of the shelf.Thereafter the stacks can be progressively advanced to the front of theshelf by the follower 17 being acted upon by the pull-rod 22. Thus ashelf can have the appearanceof being filled until the supply has becomeexhausted.

To minimize the assembled thickness of the spring plate 20, upturnedportion 18A of the follower 17 and vertical end portion 24 of thepull-rod 22, I divide the portion. 18A as at 26 to partially. embracethe vertical end of.

v the pull-rod as best shown in Figures 1 and 4. The

.- rack base 4A may be secured bysuitable fastening elements 30 to ashelf or other horizontal supporting surface as shown.

While I have shown particular forms of embodiment of my invention I amaware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves toothers skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe v i invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire toprotect the Letters Patent is:

1. A display and dispensing rack comprising, a base member forsupporting articles to be displayed and having an upwardly openingguideway extending fore-andaft, article follower means having a backWall portion and having guide means riding in said guideway, followerpull means in said guideway and extending forwardly and rearwardly ofsaid follower means, said pull means being movable along said guidewayrelative to said follower means and having an offset portion engageablewith the follower means whereby said follower means and the articlesdisplayed in front thereof can be selectively pulled forwardlyresponsive to a forward pull on said pull means.

2. A display and dispensing rack comprising, a base member forsupporting articles to be displayed, said base member having an articlestop near the front thereof and an upwardly opening elongated grooveextending rearwardly of said stop from an exposed front end, articlefollower means having a back wall portion and having a forwardlyextending base portion with depending guide means riding in said groove,follower pull means in said groove and projecting forwardly therefrombeneath said stop and extending rearwardly of said follower means, saidpull means being movable along said groove relative to said followermeans and having a rear offset portion engageable with the back of thefollower means whereby said follower means and the articles displayed infront thereof can be selectively pulled forwardly responsive to aforward pull on the forwardly projecting portion of said pull means.

3. The rack of claim 2 in which said depending guide means comprises adown-struck rib portion of said base portion and in which said followerpull means passes over said rib whereby said pull means resists backwardtipping of said article follower means.

4. A display and dispensing rack comprising, a base member forsupporting articles to be displayed and having an upwardly openingguideway extending fore-andaft, article follower means having a backwall portion and having a forwardly extending base portion, said baseportion having depending guide means which is open throughout its lengthand rides in said guideway, follower pull means in said guideway andextending through said guide means, said pull means being movable alongsaid guideway relative to said guide means and having a rear offsetportion engagcable with the follower means whereby said follower meansand the articles displayed in front thereof can be selectively pulledforwardly responsive to a forward pull on said pull means.

5. A display and dispensing rack comprising, a base member forsupporting articles to be displayed and having an upwardly openingguideway extending fore-andaft, article follower means having a backwall portion and having a forwardly extending base portion of sheetmaterial adapted to receive the rearmost displayed arti-- cles, saidbase portion having an elongated concavoconvex rib depending into saidguideway and having its concavity open at both ends, follower pull meansin said guideway and extending through said concavity, said pull meansbeing movable along said guideway and concavity and having arearupwardly offset portion engageable with the back of said back wallportion whereby said folall lower means and the article displayed infront thereof can be selectively pulled forwardly responsive to aforward pull on said pull means.

6. The structure of claim 5 in which said back wall portion has aforwardly offset part to receive said olfset portion of the pull means.

7. A display and dispensing rack comprising, a shelf overlay member forsupporting articles to be displayed and being formed of corrugatedmaterial with the corrugations thereof running fore and aft, articlefollower means presenting a back wall and adapted for selective interfitwith said corrugations and movement therealong, and follower pull meansadapted for selected seating in the valleys of said corrugations andadapted for engagement with the back of said follower means whereby saidfollower means and the articles displayed in front thereof can beselectively pulled forwardly along the ridges of said corrugationsresponsive to a forward pull on said pull means.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which said overlay member has articlestop means along its front edge spaced above said valleys of thecorrugations, said pull means extending beneath said stop means.

9. The structure of claim 8 in which said pull means comprises a rodhaving a knob at its forward end and an upwardly offset portion at itsrear end for engaging the back of said follower means.

10. A display and dispensing rack comprising, a base member forsupporting articles to be displayed and presenting a plurality ofregularly-spaced parallel upwardlyopening guideways extending fore andaft, article follower means presenting a back wall and adapted forselective interfit with said guideways and movement therealong, and afollower pull rod adapted for selected seating in said guideways andhaving an offset rear portion for selected engagement with the back ofsaid follower means whereby said follower means and the articlesdisplayed in front thereof can be selectively pulled forwardlyresponsive to a forward pull on said pull means.

11. A display and dispensing rack comprising, a base member forsupporting articles to be displayed and having an upwardly openingguideway extending fore-andaft, article follower means having a backwall portion and having guide means depending into said guidewayforwardly of said back wall portion, follower pull means in saidguideway and interfitting with said guide means for endwise movementrelative thereto, said pull means being movable along said guideway andhaving an oifset portion selectively engageable with the back of saidfollower means whereby said follower means and the articles displayed infront thereof can be selectively pulled forwardly responsive to aforward pull on said pull means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBlanning July 13,

